Gearing.



A. W. KNUTSON.

(BEARING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 19:6.

1 83% 1 i 1 D Pat ented @ept. 42, 191?.

n snares arena oar-nice.

ALFRED W. KNUTSON, 0F GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ROWE MANUFACTUR- ING 00., OF GALESBURG, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

GELARING.

Application filed November 15,1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED WV. KNU'ISON, a citizen of the United States, a resident of Galesburg, in the county of Knox and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gearing, of which the following is a specification This invention has reference to hoisting devices, and relates particularly to that class of such devices used as litter carriers; although it is capable of and designed so that it may be used for other and various purposes. a r

The present invention has for its object to provide a changeable speed operating mechanism, whereby, when the carrier is elevated with a light weight material it may be raised much quicker than when it is elevated with a heavier weight material.

Litter carriers of the type herein shown and described with which I am familiar, have all been provided with a single speed operating mechanism, so that heavy and light materials to be transported, is elevated at the same speed. There is a demand for a litter carrier having a changeable speed operating mechanism which will enable the operator to vary the speed with which the carrier may be elevated, depending on the material which he wishes to elevate .and transport from one point to another. My invention meets this requirement. r

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the description of the drawings hereto attached Tand forming a part of this description, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved hoisting device, the same being shown suspended from a track on'which it maybe moved from place to place 3 Fig. 2 is a detail in section, showing the changeable speed mechanism for raising the carrier;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of certain of the gears, as the same would appear looking in the direction of the arrow, on theline 33 of Fig. 2; r j

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of one of the gears in the operating mechanism.

Like characters of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the figures.

In the drawings, Fig. 1-, I have shown the carrierl of the usualform of metal recep Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented dept. 41, 191%..

Serial No. 131,412.

tacle, This carrier has a pivotal connection with the straps or bars 2 to permit the carrier to be dumped. To the free ends of the straps or bars 2, hoisting chains 3 are con neeted and said chains engage the sprocket teeth, not shown, of the hoisting wheels at.

not shown, which engage the hoisting chain 3 for elevating and lowering the carrier 1 and the flanges of said hoisting wheels l; are provided with the oppositely disposed and staggeredly arranged pins 10, with which mesh the teeth of worm gears 11 carried at opposite ends on the operating shaft It is thus obvious that when the shaft 12 is operated, it will in turn actuate the worm gears 11 and said gears in turn will operate the hoisting wheels at, and elevate or lower the carrier 1, depending of course on the direction in which the hoisting wheels 4 are rotated.

As the carrier 1 is elevated, the loose free ends of the hoisting chain 3 will be. stored in baskets or equivalent receptacles 13 secured to and supported between the parallel bars 6, and said hoisting chains will pass from the hoisting wheels 1 into the baskets 13, and from said baskets back to the hoisting wheels through guides or feeders li. The guides or feeders and the baskets to which reference is made, have not been detailed, as the same form the subject matter of invention in a co-pending application filed of even date herewith and bearing Serial No. 131,411.

The casting 7 and the housing, including the sections 8 and 9, together with the connecting bars 6, form the traveling support on which the carrier 1 is suspended and for transporting said support from a receiving to a discharging position, or vice versa, I provide trucks 15, one of which has preferably a swiveled connection with the casting 7, and the other has preferably swiveledconnection with the section 8 of the housing and said trucks are provided with wheels 16 adapted to travel on a track 17 of any suitable construction, said track having attached thereto, hangers 18 for supporting the track from any suitable structure.

Oneend of the operatingshaft 12 is jour naled in abearing 19 formed in or connected to the casting 7 and the oppositeiend of said operating shaft is journaled in a bearing 20 formed on or connected to the housing section 8 and said shaft projected into said housing, and has connected thereto, a small gear wheel 21 which -is' provided with preferably a square recessor opening 22 in its face and in axial alinement *Wltll the shaft 12, best seen'in Figs. 2 and 1. The

small gear wheel 21'constantly meshes with 28 disposed in axial alinement with the operating shaft 12 and said short shaft 28*has a hearing at its inner-end in'the hub eXten-- sion 29 on the section 9 of thehousing and the outer end of said short shaft has a bearing in the hub 30 preferably cast integral with the yoke 31 of said section 9 of the housing. l/Vhen-the sections 8 and 9of the housing;areunited, as shown in the drawings, said housing inclosesthe gears 21,23, 26' and '27. The gear wheel 27 is provided in its face which is in-juxtaposition to the face of the gear wheel 21, witlr the recess or squared opening 31-and is similar to the recess or squared opening 22in the gear wheel 21. The gear wheels 21 and 27 are placed-in juxtaposition and their recesses or squared openings are so disposed that the squared head 32 -on the innerend' ofthe short shaft 28 may be moved out of the re-, cess or squared opening in the gear wheel 27 into the similar recess or squared openingin the gear wheel 21, and viceversa. lVhen the head 32 of the short shaft28 is in the recess, in the gear wheel 27," as shown in Fig; 2, motionmaybe transmitted ''fromthe short shaft'28 through thegear wheels 26 and 23 to the-gear wheel 21 and the operating shaft 12, but when the said head- 32 of the short shaft 28 has been projected intothe recess in the face of the smaller gear-wheel 21, motion-wvill be imparteddirect from the shortshaft 28 tooperateth'e shaft 12, instead of' indirectly, in the manner previouslydescribed.-

Having a spline and groove connection with the short shaft 28,- -between the-hub- 29. ofthesection 9of thehousing and the hub 30of theyoke 31, is a sprocket sheave wheel 32 engaged by a chain 33, said chain suspended low enough to be engaged by an operator for actuating the sprocket sheave wheel '32 and in'turn operating the short shaft 28. The spline and groove connection between the short shaft 28 and said sprocket sheave wheel 32 is such that the said short shaft'may be moved inwardly and outwardly so as. toiconnectztheiahead 32 on the end of said short shaft in driving contact with either of the gear wheels 21: 'or=27, asisapparent.

The outer end of theshort shaft 28 is provided w-i-th spaced annulargrooves34 and and with the finger-hold 36 to=permitan operator to grasp theend of 'the short shaft to move it in and outs Adapted;to'engage with either of' the' annular grooves 34 and 35 of the short shaft 28,-is a pin 37- having a loose bearing -in-the hub 30 of the yoke 31. When the pin 37 isin the groovei35, as shown in Fig; 2, said short shaft 28 is in locking and operative connection WitllwtllG gear wheel 27 and=to move the shaft '28 into lockingand operative connection with the gear wheel 21',- theqain 37 isreleased from the groove 35, theshort Jshaft 28-moved inwardly and'the pin 37 dropped 'into en gagement, with thegroove 34 in said short shaft, which willlock said shaft) in' operativeengagement with the gear wheel 21.-

\Vitlrthe changeable speed gearing shown,

,itis obvious that the hoisting-wheels 1 may be operated at the same speed with'the operation of the sprocket sheave wheel 32, and that thespeed of said hoisting'wheels l may be changed so'as to rotatefaster than the rotation of the sprocket-sheave wheel 32. This change in thespeed a of the hoisting wheels l is desirable when handling different classes of material inthe'carrier 1 which is to be elevated and transported fromone point to another.

1. In a deviceyofthe character described, in combination, a-twopart operating shaft, a gear wheel 'on each of the'matchingends of said shafti' par-ts,- the matching faces --of said gear wheels having-polygonal shaped 115 recesses, oneof said shaftpa-rts being movable axially and havinga-member-adapted to be seated in-the recess of either of-said gear wheels, gearing connecting "said gear wheels, and means for operating said axially 120 movable shaftpart.

2:. Ina device of the characterdescribed, in combination, an operating shaft, 'a gear wheel on one end of said operatingshaft' having arecess in'its face, a reciprocal shaft 12 in axial alinement withsaid operating shaft, agear wheelon the end of said reciprocal shaftadjacent said gear wheel on'said operatingshaft,--a11d havin'g-a'recess in its face,

a .memberonsaid reciprocal shaft adapted 130 to be seated in the recess of either the gear wheel on said reciprocal shaft or on said operating shaft, interposed gearing connecting said gear wheels on said operating and reciprocal shafts, and means for actuating said reciprocal shaft.

3. In a device of the character described, in combination, axially disposed gear wheels, each having a recess in its matching face, an operating shaft connected to one of said gear wheels, a driving shaft axially movable through said other gear wheel, a member on the inner end of said axially movable shaft and adapted to be seated in the recess of either of said gear wheels to connect the same with said axially movable shaft, interposed gearing connecting said gear wheels, means for operating said axially movable shaft, and means for locking the same in adj usted position.

4. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing, axially disposed gear wheels in said housing and having matching recesses in their adjacent faces, gearing connecting said gear wheels, an op erating shaft having a bearing in one side of said housing and connected to one of said gear wheels, a yoke connected with the opposite side of said housing, a driving shaft having a bearing in said yoke and in said housing and axially movable through said other gear wheel, a member on the inner end of said axially movable shaft and adapted to be seated in the recess of either of said gear wheels to connect the same with said axially movable shaft, locking means carried by said yoke to engage said driving shaft and retain the same in either of its adjusted positions, an operating wheel disposed within said yoke, on said driving shaft and with which the driving shaft has a feathered connection, and a chain for actuating said operating wheel.

5. In a device of the character described, in combination, a two part shaft, a housing inclosing the meeting ends of said shaft, a gear wheel in said housing fixed to the inner end of one part of said shaft and having a recess in its face, a gear wheel also in said housing carried on the inner end of the other part of said shaft and having a recess in its face corresponding to the recess in the face of said first mentioned gear wheel, a member on the inner end of said last mentioned part of said shaft adapted to be seated in the recess of either of said gear wheels to connect the same with said part of said shaft having said member, gearing journaled in said housing and connecting said first mentioned gear wheels, said part of said shaft having the member thereon adapted to be moved axially and formed with a pair of annular grooves, means to engage either of said grooves to lock the said part of said shaft in its adjusted positions, an operating wheel on said movable part of said shaft and with which the same has a feathered connection, and means for actuating said operating wheel.

6. In a device of the character described, in combination, a two part operating shaft including a long and short section, the latter being axially movable, worm wheels on the long section of said two-part shaft, a housing inclosing the meeting ends of said two-part shaft, a gear wheel on the inner end of each shaft part provided with recesses in their matching faces, the end of the shorter shaft section having a head adapted to fit in the recess in either of said last mentioned gear wheels, a short shaft journaled in said housing, a pair of gear wheels of unequal diameter on said short shaft, one in meshing relation with the gear wheel on the end of the longer section of said two-part shaft, the other in meshing relation with the gear wheel on the end of the shorter section of said two-part shaft, and an operating wheel on said shorter section of said two-part shaft and through which said shaft is movable.

7. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing, a two-part shaft having their inner ends journaled in said housing and one of said shaft parts being axially movable with respect to the other, a gear wheel on the inner end of each shaft part and within said housing and having recesses in their matching faces, the gear wheel on said axially movable shaft part adapted at predetermined times to run loose thereon, a member on the inner end of said axially movable shaft part adapted to be inserted in the recess of either of said wheels, and a train of gear wheels connecting "said gear wheel on said two-part shaft.

8. In a device of the character described, in combination, a housing, a two-part shaft having their inner ends journaled in said housing and one of said shaft parts being axially movable with respect to the other, a gear wheel on the inner end of each shaft part and within said housing, the gear wheel on the axially movable shaft being normally loose thereon, the other having a fixed relation with its shaft part and both having a recess in their matching faces, a member on the inner end of said axially movable shaft part adapted to be inserted in the recesses of either of said gear wheels, and a train of gear wheels journaled in said housing and connecting the gear wheels on said two-part shaft.

ALFRED W. KNUTSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

